ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 591 



present from the band of Sig. G. Kuffler, of Cologne ; a young man who is a goo 1 

 catholic, of much virtue and niucli modisty, whom you yourself will judge worthy 

 of recommendation to virtuous people. He will he able to show your Lord.sldp an 

 occhide or telescope of new invention, different from that of Galileo, with which he 

 shows a flea as large as a locust, those th;it have no wings and are called crickets, 

 and almost of the same shape, with its two arms and the other smaller legs, its 

 head and almost all the rest of the body covered und armed with crusts or scales like 

 locusts or .small shrimps. The little insects which generate in cheese and which 

 we call Mitte, Mittoni, or Artiij(jioni, which are so tiny that they almost seem like dust, 

 liecome as large as flies without wings when seen with that instrument, and are so 

 distinctly discerntd that one recognizes them to have very long legs, a pointed head, 

 and every part of the body quite distinct, making one admire in the highest degi-ee 

 the tfiects ot' divine providence, which was far more incomprehensible to us when 

 tliat aid to our eyes was wanting. I thought that your Lordship would see it with 

 pleasure, as did the Duke of Anjou, brother to His Majesty, nnd all the mo.st curious 

 persons of this town, and as out of this kingdom the King of England, Prince 

 Maurice, and many other persons of great name have done ; and I bi lieve this invention 

 will not be held in less esteem by people in your town, especially by the illustrious 

 Cardinal of Santa Susanna, to whom I beg your Lordship to introduce this young 

 man, as well as to ihe illustrious Cardinal your master, and the illustrious Cardinal 

 Barberino, and others at your court, whom you will judge desirous of seeing it. He 

 has some other inventions, which he will in time bring to liglit, and which may 

 perhaps be even more successful, having learnt them from Sig. Cornelius Drubelsius, 

 his relation, one of tlie cleverest men in this century in matters of mechanics, and 

 who has built boats that float under water, mirrors that burn at several miles' 

 distance, and other stupendous things; I will consider as done to me the favour 

 and assistance he will receive from your Lordship, and I will consequently remain 

 under proper obligation to you. "With which without adding furtlier I kiss your 

 hands with all my heart, praying that Heavtn may give you eveiy perfect good. 

 From Paris, 7th June, 1622. — Your most illustrious Lordship's affectionate servuut, 

 Di Peiresc." 



From Peiresc to Altandro : — 



"Paris, 8tli December, 1622. — ... I am indeed sorry at the loss of poor Kuffler, 

 and that unfortunately he should not have been able first to show the illustiious 

 Cardinal of Santa Susanna and to your Lordship the marvellous etfects of his 

 occhiale. I am ashamed now of having written to you the details about it that I d;d, 

 as I see you so far from being able to enjoy thai instrument, as it is not credible 

 unless one sees it as soon as spoken of. It would have been a great consolation for 

 me if that relation of his who came from Naples could have made up for that de- 

 ficiency. In the meanwhile I do not kn(jw how to thank you worthily for all the 

 charity and liberality shown that poor man, as well after death as in liie, and I beg 

 you will receive the reimbinsemeut from Sig. Eschinardo, and I will nevertheless 

 remain much obligeil to you for your great courte.^y and singular promptness." 



From Peiresc to Aleandro : — 



"Paris, January 5th, 1623. — As to the occhiale which allows the most minute 

 objects to be seen so many times enlarged, I am extremely so:ry that the illustrious 

 Cardinal of Santa Su.sannaand your Lordship never saw tlie eflect. 1 kept one, which 

 I have tried to have copied, and if I am successful, as I hope to be, I will not fail to 

 send one at once to the said Car.linal ; indeed, if I do not succeed in my attempt, I 

 would rather resolve to send him mine, so that he may experience so miraculous an 

 enjoyment of the sense of human sight, fur otherwise I would pass as an impostor for 

 havii'g written what I first wrote to you on the subject, if I did not make him sec it 

 and touch it, so to say, and I would deserve to lose credit in the future." 



From Peiresc to Ah andro : — 



"Paris, August 14th, 1623. — I wrote to your Lordship by Father Dom. Gio. di 

 San Paulo Yassano, in the beginning of July, a letter to be delivered in person with 

 the occhiale by Drebelsius which I had received from Kufller, together with another 

 smaller occhiale most easily worked, having shown him how to use it, so that it 

 might be easier for your Lordship to explain it to the illustrious Cardinal of Santa 

 Susanna ; and I thought that he must have already arrived, or be very near to Pome. 

 But now I am assured that he has remained half-way on account of the return on 

 this side of the mountains of the Father General of that Order, which displeases 

 me extremely. We shall have to await the effect of fortune which seems to have 

 persecuted this poor instrument." 



